Comedian Amy Walsh brings Big Dog Energy to Vancouver

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big dog energy

When: April 18th

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Where: The MOTN Comedy Club, 1826 Triumph St., Vancouver

Tickets: $20 in eventbrite.ca

Big Dog Energy is the dog comedy show Vancouver needs. Created by Amy Walsh, a comedian who moved here from her native Ireland two and a half years ago, the monthly event features local and visiting talent performing to a house full of dogs and their people. This month’s all-local lineup includes Efthimos Nasiopoulos, Sean Devlin, Colin Sharp, Cass Furman, KC Novak and Sophia Johnson. We spoke to Walsh about her canine comedy hit.

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Q: What gave you the idea for Big Dog Energy?

TO: I’m a big fan of dogs and I had dogs at home in Ireland. Then I was dog sitting here through this app called Rover and I found that a lot of the couples I was dog sitting for were like, ‘Oh, we can’t go on a date night without leaving the dog because he has anxiety,’ and all this kind of stuff. . So I thought, well, why don’t I try to create a date night where they can bring their dog? And I also got to see how much the people of Vancouver adored their dogs. I have never seen so many dogs in strollers and wearing jackets. Irish dogs are actually not like that. I asked Austin Jamieson, who runs The MOTN: ‘What do you think? Comedy show for dogs? And he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ He trusted my crazy idea to have dogs in a comedy show. And we’ve been doing it practically every month for almost two years.

Q: What were some of the growing pains?

TO: One time, I think it was the second show, we had a dog that wouldn’t stop barking and the owner just wouldn’t take him outside. So now, at first, I say, ‘Look, if your dog is getting a little restless, take him for a walk and bring him back.’ And then everything is solved.

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But honestly, everything has been going pretty well for the most part. People think, with all those dogs in a room, that it must be crazy, that there must be a lot going on. But everyone is very happy to be there. And all the dogs are very well behaved. It’s amazing.

Q: Are the dogs paying attention to what is happening on stage?

TO: Some sit there and watch. But most just go to sleep. At first they feel a little dizzy when there are so many dogs, but once they settle in, they just go to sleep and then the owners have a good time.

Q: Do you have a fully stocked Milk-Bone bar and water stations?

TO: That would be the dream! If we had a dog treat sponsor, we could have an entire bar for them. But we have bowls of water and I have treats in my pocket and sometimes we have little puppuccinos too.

Q: Are some comedians more comfortable interacting with dogs and improvising dog jokes than others?

TO: Yes. It’s not necessary to tell dog jokes, but many of them like to interact with the fact that there is a room full of dogs. One guy didn’t even do an introduction to it, he just played with a dog and played it. At the first show, one of the comedians thought it was a joke that there were dogs in the audience. He was like, ‘Why are there so many dogs?’ Well, it’s a comedy show for dogs. That’s the whole point. And he hated that there were so many dogs. But he got over it. He was a soldier.

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